CSO Masterworks 1 Sat: CSO Season Opening Weekend

A Charleston Carnival

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Ryo Hasegawa, Conductor
Antonio Martí, Trumpet
Philip Smith, Trumpet

About the Show

The 2026-2027 season launches with a celebration of the trumpet featuring former Principal Trumpet of the New York Philharmonic, Philip Smith, and Antonio Martí, Charleston Symphony’s Principal Trumpet. With Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto and Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two Trumpets, the two immensely talented trumpeters will shine. Assistant Conductor of the Charleston Symphony, Ryo Hasegawa, will make his Masterworks conducting debut.

Sibelius’ Second Symphony, written in 1901-02, is a fitting conclusion to the program, as it gives the trumpet a considerable spotlight, especially in the fourth movement. It’s worth noting that during the time Sibelius wrote this symphony, his native Finland was under Russian oppression. Although times were bleak, with significant restrictions on Finland’s culture and autonomy, Sibelius composed the piece in Italy during a patron-funded stay that was intended to nurture his creativity. As a result, it became not only one of his best-known compositions, but also a symbol for his home nation’s independence.  

NOTEWORTHY:

• At the time of his retirement from the New York Philharmonic (after 36 years), The New Yorker wrote of Philip Smith: “Smith has presided over orchestral trumpet playing, with a resonant, clarion sound and a reputation for never missing a note.”
• Antonio Martí became Principal Trumpet of the Charleston Symphony in 2015; prior to this, he was Principal Trumpet of the Tokyo Symphony and, in 2009, Martí released a solo album of solo trumpet music from Spain, America, and Japan titled “Path.”
• In addition to his position with the Charleston Symphony, Ryo Hasegawa is also Music Director of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra (Indiana), and Artistic Director of Mudita, a nonprofit arts collaborative.
• Wynton Marsalis performed Haydn’s Trumpet Concert with the Boston Pops Orchestra and conductor John Williams in 1984. >> Watch

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